17/11/2025
On 9 December 1592, an outstanding artilleryman and rebellious traveller, called the Polish conquistador, poet and writer Krzysztof Arciszewski of the Prawdzic coat of arms (died 7 April 1656), was born in Rogalin.
Training in the craft of war, he reached the Netherlands, where he fought in various conflicts. In the service of the Dutch West India Company, he made several trips to Brazil. There he not only earned high ranks but also wrote down observations about the life of the Indians. Arciszewski's extraordinary biography is also evidenced by the fact that after returning to Poland he became the commander of the Crown artillery, and during Khmelnytsky's rebellion he defended Lviv and took part in the relief of Zbaraż
Krzysztof Arciszewski (9 December 1592 in Rogalin – 7 April 1656 near Gdańsk, Poland) was a Polish nobleman, military officer, engineer, and ethnographer. Arciszewski also served as a general of artillery for the Netherlands and Poland. In 1637 he became a vice-governor of Dutch Brazil and head chief of Dutch military forces in that country.
9 grudnia 1592 roku w Rogalinie urodził się wybitny artylerzysta i niepokorny podróżnik, nazywany polskim konkwistadorem, poeta i pisarz Krzysztof Arciszewski herbu Prawdzic (zm. 7 kwietnia 1656 r.).
Szkoląc się w rzemiośle wojennym, dotarł do Holandii, gdzie walczył w różnych konfliktach. Na usługach holenderskiej Kompanii Zachodnioindyjskiej kilkukrotnie wyprawiał się do Brazylii. Tam nie tylko dosłużył się wysokich godności, lecz również spisał obserwacje na temat życia Indian. O nietuzinkowym życiorysie Arciszewskiego świadczy także to, że po powrocie do kraju został dowódcą artylerii koronnej, a podczas buntu Chmielnickiego bronił Lwow oraz brał udział w odsieczy Zbaraża
Pic: Krzysztof Arciszewski, engraving by Antoni Oleszczyński, 1832; National library
https://historia.dorzeczy.pl/nowozytnosc/523587/krzysztof-arciszewski-wielka-kariera-polskiego-najemnika-zycie-biografia.html https://histmag.org/Krzysztof-Arciszewski-od-Parahyby-do-Lwowa-18283 https://polska360.org/krzysztof-arciszewski-zbrodniarz-ktory-stal-sie-bohaterem/ https://niezlomni.com/polski-konkwistador-nieznana-historia-polaka-miare-hollywoodzkiej-superprodukcji/ https://www.wilanow-palac.pl/krzysztof_arciszewski_w_holandii.html https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krzysztof_Arciszewski https://www.gry-online.pl/opinie/niesamowite-wydarzenia-z-polskiej-historii-godne-gier-wideo/wyprawa-krzysztofa-arciszewskiego-do-brazylii/zb6b3 https://wielkahistoria.pl/krwawy-odwet-polskiej-szlachty-na-wielkopolskich-mieszczanach-wycinali-ich-w-pien-grabili-puscili-miasto-z-dymem/ https://polonia.edu.pl/krzysztof-arciszewski-mistrz-artylerii-i-zdobywca-brazylii/ https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=872290461785524&set=a.384876323860276 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krzysztof_Arciszewski Invent Krzysztof Arciszewski 9 December 1592, an outstanding artilleryman and rebellious traveller, called the Polish conquistador, poet and writer Krzysztof Arciszewski https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/468960761_872290465118857_7227840816724972390_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=U9Qxs7f2oUIQ7kNvgF4Yeqa&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&_nc_gid=Aw9AiPGSZYhyA9hYxMtEaFk&oh=00_AYDhsnz_cv8_xd1dABSO_JBIIcxdDtozGEqI1kNw97U-aQ&oe=67625F97 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Krzysztof_Arciszewski_Antoni_Oleszczy%C5%84ski.jpg
Kazimierz Siemienowicz > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazimierz_Siemienowicz
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Krzysztof Arciszewski in the Netherlands
Adrian Leszek
After the killing of Kacper Brzeźnicki, Krzysztof Arciszewski found shelter at the court of Prince Radziwiłł in Birża. He arrived there with his brother Elijah – a participant in the crime. However, the prince could not protect his courtiers from banishment, because he himself would have broken the law of the Commonwealth. Attempts to settle with Brzeźnicki's grieving widow and Prince Krzysztof Radziwiłł's readiness for financial compensation did not bring any results. Therefore, the prince decided to send his brothers back to the Netherlands to serve his interests. They were to learn the craft of war and become correspondents of the events taking place in the West at the time, especially the progress of the Thirty Years' War.
The need to flee abroad strongly moved Arciszewski – he awakened in him longing for the lost past and regret for the cancellation of career prospects in his homeland. During this depressing period, Krzysztof wrote touching poems in which he expressed his gratitude to Providence for the care he had taken so far and recommended himself to it for the future.
Christopher's task after leaving Birża was to organize the prince's post, which would allow him to receive information from Europe as soon as possible. It was to run through Berlin, Gdańsk, Königsberg, Kaunas and Vilnius.
In March 1624. Arciszewski set off from Gdańsk to The Hague. He was accompanied by his brother Elijah. However, it soon turned out that staying in the Netherlands can be a real nuisance. The Arciszewskis lacked funds to support themselves. As a result of contacts with Brzeźnicki, his parents lost almost all their property. In addition, the father, as a zealous follower of Arianism, could not support his sons in the development of a military career. The lack of funds and parental support had a depressing effect on both brothers. Tensions soon arose between them. Elijah accused Krzysztof of not wanting to bend his neck, that is, to ask for the protection of the Dutch nobles and join the army, as befits a soldier, but that he still devoted himself to engineering studies and learning how to build fortifications and mines. Christopher wanted to improve his skills, and joining the guard of Prince Maurice of Orange would only take away the time needed for study.
Impatient with his brother's complaints, Krzysztof renounced the help of his parents in favor of Elijah, and he himself relied on the mercy of Prince Radziwiłł. In almost every letter he asked for financial advances for further activity. However, he was not a vain student. In addition to acquiring further skills, he acted as an intermediary for the prince, m.in. in commercial matters. He also conducted an interview about the state of local education, which he reported to the prince, recommending that young Janusz be sent to study in France, [...] which, with cheaper upbringing, could be with the addition of language and the vision of a greater police.
Soon, however, Arciszewski enlisted in the army of Prince Maurice and took part in the siege of Breda. He left an incredibly colorful description of the fights taking place under the city walls. It is interesting that during this siege, Prince Władysław Vasa, who was traveling around Europe, visited the camp of the Spaniards, who were hostile to the Netherlands. Two future associates – the king and one of his most prominent commanders – were on opposite sides of the barricade.
Settling financial affairs helped the brothers to return to a relationship of mutual cordiality. It also began a new, better period of Arciszewski's stay abroad. The support received from the Birža court allowed Arciszewski to complete his engineering and artillery studies. At the end of 1625, despite the sentence of banishment, Christopher incognito returned to the country for a few months. He was then given the mission of regulating matters concerning the financing of the education of the Calvinist charges of Prince Radziwiłł in the French Sedan.
During his stay in France, Arciszewski looked at the state of French education. And just as he had previously recommended sending Prince Janusz to study in France, now he changed his mind, advising him to choose Leiden or Basel. He also became involved in a conspiracy to place Gaston of Orleans on the Polish throne after the death of Sigismund III. These efforts were to be supported by Cardinal Richelieu and Krzysztof Radziwiłł. Nothing was proven against Radziwiłł, and the entire burden of guilt rested on Arciszewski. King Sigismund III asked Infanta Isabella to detain the suspect in case he was passing through the territories under her control. This mainly concerned the Spanish Netherlands, through which the road from France to the Netherlands went.
Due to the blocked passage and the civil war, Arciszewski had to extend his stay in France. In the ranks of the Dutch fleet, he supported Cardinal Richelieu, taking part in the siege of La Rochelle. After the expedition, he stayed in Paris, where he received many offers to take command, m.in. from the Duke of Holstein or the Count of Aldringen. However, he decided to join the army of Frederick Henry – stadtholder of the Netherlands, successor of Maurice of Orange. This proves that Arciszewski did not attach much importance to matters of faith, fighting sometimes against Catholics, sometimes against Protestants. Above all, he wanted to prove himself in the field of glory.
Due to his participation in the conspiracy, Arciszewski did not have many opportunities for development in Europe. Sigismund III, as a representative of the Vasa dynasty, was a powerful monarch. He also maintained good relations with Spain. The royal demand for Christopher's imprisonment closed his access to Spain and the Spanish Netherlands. Imprisonment could also end with a journey through the lands of the Empire, immersed in the depths of the Thirty Years' War and under the rule of the allied Habsburgs. In addition, the feat of Piet Hein became famous throughout Europe, who in 1628 won the Spanish Silver Fleet in the New World, covering himself with great glory. These factors influenced Krzysztof's decision. He accepted the proposal of the West India Company and on November 16, 1629, sailing from Texlu, left Europe aboard a Dutch ship bound for the conquest of Brazil.
